Panorama.am

15:44 15/09/06

SADOYAN THINKS RUSSIA FORCES TO RAISE TELEPHONE FEES

Arshak Sadoyan, Member of Parliament, is going to put every effort to
hinder the Public Services Regulatory Committee from approving the new
tariffs proposed by ArmenTel on possible rise. Consumer Rights
Protection organizations are going to join Sadoyan in his
efforts. `Applications for higher tariffs are normally submitted based
on cost-value and quality of service. We know that ArmenTel is the
second profitable company in Armenia and we are well-aware of the
quality of its services,’ Aram Grigoryan, Public Protector’s Union
head said.

`Even back to those years of cold and dark, our telecommunication
capacities were twice as much as in Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran and
Turkey. Today the picture is completely different.’ Sadoyan said.

Andranik Manukyan, the minister of transport and communication, also
made a statement recently saying ArmenTel’s proposed tariffs do not
comply with the rendered services and that the Regulatory Committee
must be very serious in considering it.

Reminder: ArmenTel submitted an application September 1 to the Public
Services Regulatory Committee proposing to raise the fee for fixed
telephony from AMD 1000 to AMD 3000. The company also wants to charge
AMD 24,000 for the connection to fixed telephony instead of previous
AMD 12,000. The proposal requires AMD 6 instead of 5 as a fixed
telephony minute charge and AMD 2,4 instead of 1 for internet
connection. All these changes are proposed under the conditions when
the company is in the process of sale.

Citing respectful sources, Sadoyan says Russian companies closely
related to President Putin make pressures on ArmenTel to raise the
prices. He called reporters to launch a fight against the possible
rise of telephone fees promising no one will have Galajian’s
fate. /Panorama.am/

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress